Most people don't really understand arthritis and how many types there are. I sure didn't at first. I dealt with the same thing in my early 20's when diagnosed as well.

I feel you so much. I have migraines since I'm around 8 years old. Back then, in the late 1980's many doctors were of the opinion that children do not have "Headaches". And they told us so repeatedly.

Today sience has caught up on this fortunately and when my niece started to have bad headaches at around 9 years old, there were whole protocols of diagnostics and treatments available.

I was just lucky that my mom had awful headaches as a kid as well that went away with her first prefancy (typically for migraines to start or end with a big hormone change) and she never got diagnosed with migraines, but she still knew how it feels and that I wasn't faking for more attention as the doctors said.

I'm still unconsciously scared that doctors won't believe me and I make a plan before every appointment of what to say, so they will believe me. Its not rational, but I still can't shake the feeling.

As a 17 year old, I unfortunately can relate.

my response to that would be "Well then you better go take it up with god, because the bitch done fucked up then, cause I'm in fucking agony every waking moment of every day, and just cause I mask well doesnt mean entitled cunts like you can come up and question me as if you are some appointed arbitrator on the matter"